Residents living near a section of the Falmouth branch line have been subjected to overnight drilling that made their homes feel like "living at the dentist."

Maintenance work on the railway line at Trescobeas has been carried out between 10pm and 6am for more than a fortnight now and it is expected to continue until the end of November.

Residents living in the nearby houses have reported being unable to sleep due to the noise being caused throughout the night - with one elderly couple understood to have been forced to sleep downstairs, where it was quieter.

The maintenance work itself has also come into criticism, with one person describing the line now looking as though it had been hit "by a nuclear explosion." Foliage and trees have been chopped back, leaving the banks bare.

Debbie Hosen, from Trescobeas Road, contacted the Packet after one particularly sleepless night.

She said: "For the residents in the area the noise is impacting greatly on our quality of life, ie sleep deprivation. One night they were drilling or blasting or something - it was like being at the dentist. It went on all night. It's just a huge nuisance, keeping everyone awake."

Mrs Hosen said that when she tried to complain, she found the telephone number on an advice letter sent to the residents charged £1 a minute to call.

With regards to the state of the bank she said: "I think it's horrendous."

However, a spokesperson from Network Rail refused to comment on the work or the concerns, as Mrs Hosen had not made an official complaint to the company.

The spokesperson said: "If she wants to speak to us, we advise she contacts our 24-hour helpline for members of the public with concerns. We're sorry that this is keeping her awake or disturbing her, but if she's got any views she should contact us directly."

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